Storyboard:

Title:

1962 - Cuban Missile Crisis: confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States

Rights-Managed,
Editorial

Location and time:

Cuba, Havanna, 14-10-1962

Description:

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a tense confrontation between the Soviet Union and the United States over the Soviet deployment of nuclear missiles in Cuba. The crisis began on October 14th, 1962 and lasted for 38 days until November 20th, 1962. It is regarded as the moment when the Cold War was closest to becoming nuclear war, and which could have turned into World War III.

Sound Bite and conversation:

McNamara, Robert

(ex-defensive minister) , speaking English: - "Did we have any clue what could happen in such a situation? Of course we would have equipped our planes with nuclear- powered rockets.
Then we would have overrun Cuba.
And then? What was the Soviets reply? Shooting each other with nuclear- powered rockets. War, between NATO and the Warsaw Treaty/Federation- in Europe as well. "

Krushchev, Sergej

(Nikita Khrushchev’s son) , speaking English: - "I told my father to be tough and cope with America and not to take away the rockets from that zone.
He answered that I am too young and one day I will understand that rockets are not everything."

McNamara, Robert

(ex-defensive minister) , speaking English: - "On this beautiful Saturday evening I was on the way to my office and was thinking that I wouldn’t live to see the next Saturday. "

Salinger, Pierre

(Kennedy's Press Secretary) , speaking English: - "I travelled home to my family. The next morning in the White House, we wanted to discuss the bombardment and the attack against Cuba"

Krushchev, Sergej

(Nikita Khrushchev’s son) , speaking English: - "A U2 was on the radar screen and they had to react as fast as possible. They could not call Moscow for permission. They decided as an officer does: enemy aeroplane, so it should be shot. "

Sorensen, Ted

(advisor of president Kennedy) , speaking English: - "The stress increased. Then the news arrived: the ships had changed their direction. Rusk, the Secretary of State, said: we stood face-to-face and the enemy winked."

Krushchev, Sergej

(Nikita Khrushchev’s son) , speaking English: - "My father did not know how to react. If he stopped the freighters it would destroy his image. But not arresting them caused even more stress and could finally start a new war. "

Sorensen, Ted

(advisor of president Kennedy) , speaking English: - "Kennedy did not want a raid. He preferred to find a peaceful solution for the conflict, therefore first he ordered a blockade. So Khrushchev had to decide what would be his next step. "

Kennedy, John F.

(former President of the United States) , speaking English: - "Any rockets shot from Cuba to any western countries will be treated as an attack. An attack by the Soviet Union on the US. And all these kinds of attacks will be retaliated with a counter-attack. "

Krushchev, Sergej

(Nikita Khrushchev’s son) , speaking English: - "My father, as one of the world’s most powerful leaders wanted to score full marks for the Soviet Union. He wanted to be on the same stage with the Americans. Therefore he had to keep some basic rules. Such as standingup for your confederates.
When Castro professed himself as a communist, the Soviets had to protect him."

McNamara, Robert

(ex-defensive minister) , speaking English: - "Gromiko met with Kennedy and he said those rockets did not exist – even when we had pictures of them
Obvious misdirection.
We thought if we are not tough enough now then Khrushchev will try it again and again- and we could not accept this.
"

Mcillmoyle, Gerald

(U2 pilot in 1962) , speaking English: - "The President wanted tangible information from us. He had to make decisions on serious topics. Our chief officer took me aside and told me that some problems had come up down there. I should find out what it was about."

Sorensen, Ted

(advisor of president Kennedy) , speaking English: - "Surprisingly Kennedy noticed. For him it was evidence: the rockets should disappear- as far as possible peacefully, but finding any kind of solution was a must."